1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roof carrier mounting structure for mounting a roof carrier on a member to which a roof carrier is mounted such as a roof rail of a vehicle, a roof panel thereof or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 29 shows an example of a roof carrier mounting structure (a roof baggage supporting device 100) according to the prior art (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 7-2025).
The roof baggage supporting device 100 comprises a lateral beam 102 and a fastening device 104. A side rail 110 is interposed between and fastened by a support jaw 106 and a fastening jaw 108 of the fastening device 104.
However, if sufficient fastening force is to be obtained by this type of structure in which only the side rail 110 is fastened, the size of the fastening device 104 becomes large and the weight thereof is also increased. For example, if a load and the roof baggage supporting device 100 are moved greatly in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle by inertia force generated during the rapid (large) acceleration of the vehicle, the rapid (large) deceleration thereof and the like (which will be collectively referred to below as xe2x80x9ca rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehiclexe2x80x9d), there is a possibility that the support jaw 106 and the fastening jaw 108 might hit the end of the side rail 110 and be damaged. In order to prevent such damage, it is necessary to set the fastening force of the fastening device 104 at a sufficiently high level. More specifically, in order to reduce the amount of movement of the roof carrier as shown by the arrow J of FIG. 30, the fastening force (fastening torque) needs to be increased. Consequently, the size and weight of the fastening device 104 is further increased.
In consideration of this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a roof carrier mounting structure capable of reducing the amount of movement of a roof carrier during a large (rapid) acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle with a small fastening force.
A first aspect of the present invention is a roof carrier mounting structure for mounting a roof carrier on a member to which a roof carrier is mounted of a vehicle, comprising: a roof carrier; and an inclined portion formed on the roof carrier and inclined to gradually approach or move away from a member to which a roof carrier is mounted in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle for converting inertia force acting on the vehicle in the longitudinal direction into a fastening force for fastening the roof carrier to the member to which a roof carrier is mounted.
Accordingly, the roof carrier sandwiches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted so that the roof carrier is mounted on the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Normally, that is, in the case where acceleration or a deceleration is not acting on the vehicle or when acceleration or deceleration is acting on the vehicle but has a value equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the roof carrier reliably sandwiches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Consequently, the roof carrier does not move unnecessarily in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
The roof carrier is provided with an inclined portion which is inclined to gradually approach or move away from the member to which a roof carrier is mounted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. When a large inertia force acts on the roof carrier and the load in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle during a rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, the inclined portion causes the inertia force in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to be converted into fastening force with which the roof carrier fastens the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Consequently, the roof carrier sandwiches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted by a new fastening force generated during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in addition to the original sandwiching force (fastening force). Thus, the sandwiching force (fastening force) with which the roof carrier sandwiches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted is increased during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. Therefore, the resistance to movement of the roof carrier is increased. Consequently, the amount of movement of the roof carrier due to the inertia force is reduced.
Thus, a part of the inertia force acting on the roof carrier and the load during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is utilized to further increase the sandwiching force by which the roof carrier sandwiches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Therefore, even if the sandwiching force of the roof carrier itself is small, the amount of movement of the roof carrier can be reduced to a level less than in the prior art during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. Since it is not necessary to increase the sandwiching force of the roof carrier itself, the size and weight of the roof carrier can be reduced.
A second aspect of the present invention is the roof carrier mounting structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the roof carrier includes: a roof carrier main body; a sandwiching member provided on the roof carrier main body for sandwiching the member to which a roof carrier is mounted between the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member; and a floating brake mounted on at least one of the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member such that the floating brake can abut against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted and having at least a portion which abuts against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted able to be elastically deformed, wherein the inclined portion includes: a first inclined face formed on the floating brake which gradually approaches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted the closer to the front of the vehicle; and a second inclined face formed on the floating brake which gradually approaches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted the closer to the rear of the vehicle.
Consequently, in normal conditions, that is, when acceleration or deceleration is not acting on the vehicle or when acceleration or deceleration is acting on the vehicle but has a value equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the floating brake abuts against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted and both the floating brake and member to which a roof carrier is mounted are sandwiched by the roof carrier main body and sandwiching member. Consequently, at least the portion of the floating brake which is abutting against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted is elastically deformed and attached to the member to which a roof carrier is mounted by pressure. Therefore, the roof carrier does not unnecessarily move relative to the member to which a roof carrier is mounted.
When a large inertia force in the rearward direction of the vehicle acts on the roof carrier and the load during the rapid acceleration of the vehicle, the member (the roof carrier main body or the sandwiching member) to which the floating brake is mounted presses the first inclined face (portion) towards the rear of the vehicle. The first inclined face gradually approaches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted in the forward direction of the vehicle. (the closer to the front of the vehicle.) Therefore, a portion of the force with which the roof carrier main body or the sandwiching member presses against the first inclined face (portion) is converted into a force with which the floating brake presses against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Consequently, since the sandwiching force for sandwiching the floating brake and the member to which a roof carrier is mounted is increased, the resistance of the roof carrier to movement is increased, and the amount of movement due to inertia force is reduced.
Similarly, when a large inertia force in the forward direction of the vehicle acts on the roof carrier and the load during the rapid deceleration of the vehicle, the roof carrier main body or the sandwiching member presses the second inclined face (portion) towards the front of the vehicle. The second inclined face gradually approaches the member to which a roof carrier is mounted in the rearward direction of the vehicle. (the closer to the rear of the vehicle.) Therefore, a portion of the force with which the sandwiching member presses against the second inclined portion is converted into a force with which the floating brake presses against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted. Consequently, since the sandwiching force for sandwiching the floating brake and the member to which a roof carrier is mounted is increased, the resistance of the roof carrier to movement is increased and the amount of movement due to inertia force is reduced.
By using a floating brake in which at least the portion abutting against the member to which a roof carrier is mounted can be elastically deformed, the floating brake can be elastically deformed and the member to which a roof carrier is mounted reliably sandwiched between the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member.
A third aspect of the present invention is the roof carrier mounting structure according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein a gap for allowing the floating brake to be relatively movable with respect to the sandwiching member is formed between the floating brake and the sandwiching member.
Accordingly, when the sandwiching member presses the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion during a rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, the floating brake is moved toward the member to which a roof carrier is mounted due to a gap formed between the floating brake and the sandwiching member. Thus, the floating brake is moved towards the member to which a roof carrier is mounted so that a sufficiently large sandwiching force can be obtained.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the roof carrier mounting structure according to the second aspect or third aspect of the present invention, wherein the sandwiching member includes: a housing portion for housing the floating brake; and an engaging portion provided in the housing portion for engaging with an portion to be engaged provided on the floating brake such that floating brake cannot easily be removed from the housing portion.
Thus, the floating brake is housed in the housing portion provided in the sandwiching member and is attached to the sandwiching member such that the floating brake cannot easily be removed from the housing portion due to the engagement of the engaging portion with the portion to be engaged. Therefore, it is possible to simply perform the assembly of the floating brake in the sandwiching member. During the assembly, moreover, adhering means such as an adhesive is not required.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is the roof carrier mounting structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the roof carrier includes: a roof carrier main body; a sandwiching member for sandwiching the member to which a roof carrier is mounted between the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member; and a fixing member for fixing the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member so as to be relatively movable in the longitudinal direction when acceleration or deceleration having a predetermined value or more acts in the longitudinal direction; wherein the inclined portion includes: a third inclined face formed on the fixing member for causing the sandwiching member to be moved toward the roof carrier main body when the roof carrier main body is moved in a forward direction of the vehicle with respect to the sandwiching member; and a fourth inclined face formed on the fixing member for causing the sandwiching member to be moved toward the roof carrier main body when the roof carrier main body is moved in a rearward direction of the vehicle.
Consequently, in normal conditions, that is, when acceleration or deceleration is not acting on the vehicle or when the acceleration or deceleration is acting on the vehicle but has a value equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, there is no relative movement between the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The member to which a roof carrier is mounted is sandwiched by the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member. Therefore, the roof carrier does not move unnecessarily relative to the member to which a roof carrier is mounted.
When a large inertia force in the rearward direction of the vehicle acts on the roof carrier and the load during a rapid acceleration of the vehicle so that the roof carrier main body is moved relatively with respect to the sandwiching member in the forward direction of the vehicle, the third inclined face moves the sandwiching member toward the roof carrier main body. Consequently, since the sandwiching force for causing the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member to sandwich the member to which a roof carrier is mounted increases, the resistance of the roof carrier to movement is increased and the amount of movement due to inertia force is reduced.
Similarly, when a large inertia force in the forward direction of the vehicle acts on the roof carrier and the load during the rapid deceleration of the vehicle so that roof carrier main body is moved relatively with respect to the sandwiching member in the rearward direction of the vehicle, the fourth inclined face move the sandwiching member toward the roof carrier main body. Consequently, since the sandwiching force for causing the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member to sandwich the member to which a roof carrier is mounted increases, the resistance of the roof carrier to movement is increased and the amount of movement due to inertia force is reduced.
Thus, a portion of the inertia force acting on the load and the roof carrier during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is utilized to move the sandwiching member toward the roof carrier main body. Therefore, even if the original sandwiching force of the roof carrier main body and the sandwiching member is small, the movement of the load and the roof carrier can be further reduced to a level less than in the prior art during the rapid acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle.
In addition, the fixing member on which the third inclined face and the fourth inclined face are formed is simply provided enabling the structure to be kept simple.